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Barcelona International Convention Centre

CCIB ENDS 2010 WITH A POSITIVE BALANCE SHEET

• The Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB) has seen a considerable increase in its activities in 2010 in comparison with 2009 (+29%)
• A highlight is the confirmation of CCIB as the venue for one of the top international events in the technology, computer and telecommunications industries, as well as being chosen to host leading medical congresses at European and international level.

Barcelona, 8th February 2011.- The Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB) has ended 2010 with a positive balance sheet, beyond all expectations. This is confirmed by the increase in overall numbers of visitors and delegates, which were 12.74% up on the previous year, 2009, and the rise – around 29% - in overall turnover. “We are very pleased,” stated Marc Rodríguez, “Because the results confirm the good response from our clients to a commercial strategy based on adapting our services to meet their needs, improving the quality of the facilities and fostering innovation, while holding our rates steady.”

Despite the initial uncertainty about 2010 in terms of economic recovery, the increase in budgets allocated to holding events was confirmed, particularly in the corporate sphere, following the drastic cutbacks of 2009, mostly in areas such as catering and technology – two areas where CCIB has focused some of its distinctive efforts. In this respect, according to Marc Rodríguez, “Its leading-edge technology, the degree of specialisation of its technical staff and the design of its facilities, with natural light and sea views, are the main factors in choosing CCIB. We should add to this the fine range of food prepared and served by the Centre’s catering staff and the excellent selection of hotels in the immediate area.”

CCIB, THE VENUE FOR MAJOR INTERNATIONAL EVENTS IN THE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICAL SECTORS

CCIB’s activities in 2010 were marked to a large extent by major congresses and conventions for global names in the technology, computer and telecommunications industries. In this respect, SYMANTEC held its second conference, “Vision 2010”, for 1,600 of its customers and partners in Europe, the Middle East and Africa in the CCIB’s facilities, from 4th to 7th October. The multinational was so satisfied that it decided to choose CCIB as the venue again for its event in 2011.

The CCIB calendar also included other important dates with global leaders in the technology industry including MICROSOFT, AVAYA, SAP and HP.

A highlight among the events in the biotechnology and medical sector hosted by CCIB was the first edition to be held in Barcelona of the biennial BIO-Europe Spring conference, which was attended by some 1,800 professionals from over 1,000 firms – 101 Spanish companies among them – plus 62 exhibitors and delegations from 43 countries.

A special mention must also be made of other international events. One of these was United European Gastroenterology Week (UEGW), which from 23rd to 27th October brought together 14,000 professionals in what is considered to be the most prestigious event in Europe in this specialist field of medicine. Others included EBCC (the European Breast Cancer Conference) from 23rd to 27th March, attended by 10,600 delegates, and GI Cancer (the World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer) from 28th June to 3rd July 2010, which will be returning to the CCIB’s facilities for the seventh time in 2011.

CCIB also put Barcelona on the cultural map once more, at the very top level, when it hosted the Anna Lindh Forum 2010 from 4th to 7th March. This was a memorable event, as it was the first time this foundation has brought together most of the institutions, NGO’s and associations that make it up together in a single public forum. It featured leading personalities, academics and regional networks, coming together to raise proposals aimed at building confidence in the dialogue between people of the Mediterranean.


SPECIAL EVENTS

The adaptability of CCIB’s facilities and its extensive technical resources enable it to host events of enormous creative complexity. In 2010 this was the case with the event organised by the car manufacturer AUDI, which brought together over 4,000 staff dealers from all over the world on twelve consecutive days to present the company’s latest innovations. The extraordinary, original set designs for the event involved an arduous process of setting up which required the convention centre auditorium to be transformed into a huge exhibition track.


THE OUTLOOK FOR 2011

While all the forecasts point to a marked decline in congresses for the medical sector in Barcelona in 2011, the high level of the events connected with the fields of medicine and healthcare should nevertheless be stressed. Thus, in the course of this year CCIB will be hosting the World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer (GI Cancer) for the seventh consecutive time on its site, as well as the first Congress of the Confederation of European Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery from 3rd to 6th July and the seventh European Congress on Tropical Medicine & International Health (FESTMIH 2011), from 2nd to 6th October. Apart from these, the Association for International Press Distribution, Distripress, will be holding its annual congress at CCIB for the second time, from 17th to 20th October.

Also worth highlighting is the repeated choice of CCIB by major technology companies such as SAP and Symantec, as well as the first international conference hosted by this centre for the American multinational Citrix.

“Our aim,” states Marc Rodríguez, “is to carry on cooperating actively with local institutions and stakeholders in the sector to help to keep Barcelona positioned among the top international destinations for business tourism. We will also go on working to reach strategic cooperation agreements with intermediaries and end customers.”

To round off this information, it is worth emphasising that, since beginning its activities in November 2004 (following the end of the Universal Forum of Cultures), CCIB has hosted 558 events attended by more than 2,790,000 delegates, with a total turnover in excess of €166M. Moreover, its activities have generated an economic impact on the city of over €1,500M.

About CCIB and GL Events

CCIB is one of the most important conference centres in southern Europe, is able to host events for up to 15,000 delegates in an up to the minute architectural setting which forms part of the Barcelona seafront. With 100,000m2 of floor space, the site includes the Convention Centre and the Forum Building Auditorium, connected by an underground avenue.

From its opening in 2004 up to the end of 2010, CCIB hosted 558 events and over 2,790,000 delegates and visitors passed through its facilities, generating a total turnover in excess of €166M. Moreover, its activities generated an economic impact on the city of over €1,500M. It was the venue for major national and international events such as the Euro-Mediterranean Summit of Heads of State in 2005, the World Conservation Congress (UICN), the EuroPCR Cardiovascular Course (12,000 delegates) or the United European Gastroenterology Week (14,000 professionals).

In 2009, CCIB won the bronze award for Best International Conference Centre from the prestigious British magazine Conference & Incentive Travel. This is added to the silver award for Best International Conference Centre it earned in 2008, as a result of voting by professional readers of another British trade magazine, M&IT, and the Innovation Award from the International Association of Congress Centres (AIPC) for the conference centre with the best technology facilities in the world in 2007, among other awards.

CCIB also maintains its ongoing commitment to taking steps to help protect the environment. Proof of this is the issuing of its ISO 14001 certification in 2010 and its decision not just to compensate for its carbon footprint as a business by buying credits in a project to the standards of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, but to offer the same opportunity to companies and organisations holding their events at the Centre. These initiatives were recognised by one of the top trade fairs in the sector, IMEX (Frankfurt), which included CCIB on the list of finalists for its 2010 Sustainability Awards.

CCIB is a member of various trade associations: the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA), the International Association of Congress Centres (AIPC), the Asociación de Palacios de Congresos de España (APCE) and the Barcelona Convention Bureau (BCB), as well as being a partner of OPC Spain.

GL events CCIB SL is the company which manages the congress site. Its shareholders are Barcelona city council (12%), the Gremi d’Hotels de Barcelona (8%) and the French company GL Events (80%), number one in Europe in venue management and logistics for major events.

GL events, based in Brignais, is quoted on the Paris stock exchange and had a turnover of €727.2M in 2010. It operates a total of 36 event venues in 23 destinations directly, with over a million square metres of floor space available. Apart from CCIB, highlights among these include the London Battersea Park Events Arena (UK), the Lyon conference centre (France), the World Forum in the Hague (Holland), the Square in Brussels (Belgium), the Rio Centro Convention Center (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), the Oran exhibition centre (Algeria) and the three venues it runs in Paris (France), as well as the “Parc Floral” exhibition site: the Maison de la Mutualité in Paris, the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild and the reopened Palais Brogniart, former home of the stock exchange.
GL Events’s different venues have hosted more than 2,700 events, apart from directly organising another 200 trade and public shows. This French company also has extensive experience in providing logistical services for prestige international sporting events such as the Olympic Games in Sydney (2000) and Athens (2004), the Pan American Games (2007), the European football cup in Portugal (2004), the Peking Olympics (2008) and the football world cup in South Africa (2010). Last year, GL events also played a part in the Universal Exhibition in Shanghai (China), the Commonwealth Games in Delhi (India) and the world badminton championships in Paris, as well as looking after the design, staging and production of the events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the independence of the African republics of the Congo and Gabon.

In 2011, GL events expects 5% growth, with a turnover of around €770M. Among others, it will be organising, hosting at the Centres it manages or providing services as an official supplier to: the first Doha Motorshow, with 80,000 visitors (26th-29th January), the AFC Asian Cup for football in Qatar (January) and the G8 and G20 summits.


For further information:

Irene Santos
Press

Edecom 21
irenesantos@edecom21.com
Tel. +34 93 4536869